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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to click
  9. dip — to sink
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. swing — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ball — a dance
  22. shower — rain
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com